Leading Sydney-based counsellor recommends mindfulness-based therapies as a way to reduce stress and anxiety that affects a large percentage of the Australian population.

Sydney, Australia - February 14, 2018 /PressCable/ —

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia with 1 in 4 Australians experiencing some form of stress and/or anxiety at some point. Mindfulness-based therapy as offered by Paul Jozsef Counselling and Psychotherapy is a proven method to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

While stress and worry are common responses to situations where one may feel emotional pressure, it usually passes once the stressful situation has been resolved, or ‘stressor’ has been removed.

For mild symptoms of anxiety, lifestyle changes, such as regular physical exercise and reducing one’s stress levels may help. For levels of anxiety that begin to impact on one’s life, psychological and/or mindfulness interventions may be beneficial.

Mindfulness refers to the mental process that can be characterised by a state of nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment experience, including one’s physical sensations, thoughts, awareness, while encouraging openness, curiosity, and acceptance.

The basic premise underlying mindfulness practices is that experiencing the present moment nonjudgmentally and openly can effectively counter the effects of stressors because excessive orientation toward the past or future when dealing with stressors can be related to feelings of anxiety.

A review of 47 clinical trials involving more than 3,500 participants with mild anxiety found that those who underwent mindfulness training workshops experienced improvement in their mood after eight weeks, on par with the effect seen with prescription medications.

“By teaching people to respond to stressful situations more reflectively rather than reflexively, mindfulness practices can effectively counter experiential avoidance strategies, which are often attempts to alter the intensity or frequency of unwanted internal experiences,” said Paul Jozsef, principal psychotherapist at Paul Jozsef Counselling & Psychotherapy.

Through the treatment of stress and anxiety with mindfulness practices, Jozsef claims that his clients are more resilient and better able to navigate the daily ups and downs of everyday life.

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